Chris Meledandri Latest Celebrity News & Gossip

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media Reporter Kumail Nanjiani and Elizabeth Banks will lead the voice cast of Universal and Illumination’s upcoming “Migration,” an animated adventure about a family of ducks on the go. “I find ducks so irresistible,” Illumination founder Chris Meledandri told the crowd at CinemaCon on Wednesday as he unveiled the compete voice cast for the original cartooned comedy. “In our movie, ducks worked beautifully to convey the relatable quirks and truths of a modern-day family.” Attendees of the annual Las Vegas-bassed exhibition industry trade show were also treated to an extended first-look at “Migration,” which opens in theaters on Dec. 22. The road-trip story follows a family of ducks, who try to convince their overprotective father to embark on the vacation of a lifetime.

Illumination Boss Chris Meledandri announced the voiceover cast for the studio’s upcoming animated pic, Migration, set for a Dec. 22 release.

Chris Melendandri took time in his CinemaCon presentation remarks to highlight the vocal cast for Illumination’s upcoming animated original “Migration.” “Migration” will star Kumail Nanjiani as an anxious Mallard dad and Elizabeth Banks as the less-anxious, more headstrong mother Mallard. The son and daughter will be voiced by Casper Jennings and Tresi Gazal, with a supporting cast including Awkwafina, Carol Kane, Keegan-Michael Key, David Mitchell and Danny DeVito. Melendandri exited the stage and a brief sizzle reel followed.

James Cameron climbs the ladder to cut the net for winning Deadline’s 2022 Most Valuable Blockbuster Movie Tournament after cleared over a half-billion dollars in profit after all ancillaries.

Brent Lang Executive Editor “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” continues to be a box office high-scorer. The video game adaptation has crossed the $500 million mark at the global box office, shattering records with the gusto that its title character usually amasses power-ups. To date, the animated adventure has earned $260.3 million domestically and $248.4 million internationally. That lifts its worldwide haul to  $508.7 million. It is now the highest-grossing film of 2023 at both the global and domestic box office, surpassing “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” (unlike that movie, people seem to have enjoyed this one). More important, it also makes “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” the biggest video game adaptation in history, topping the grosses of “Warcraft” and “Detective Pikachu.”

SPOILER ALERT: This story contains spoilers for “The Super Mario Bros. Movie,” in theaters now. With “The Super Mario Bros Movie,” Mario has officially entered Hollywood, as the adventurous mustachioed plumber takes on Bowser alongside Princess Peach for the first time on the big screen.

Deadline’s Most Valuable Blockbuster tournament took a hiatus during the pandemic as movie theaters closed for the majority of 2020-2021 and theatrical day-and-date titles on both the big screen and studios’ respective streaming platforms became more prevalent. Coming back from that brink, the studios have largely returned to their theatrical release models and the downstream monies they can bring. Not to mention their power in launching IPs around the world with big global marketing campaigns. When it comes to evaluating the financial performance of top movies, it isn’t about what a film grosses at the box office. The true tale is told when production budgets, P&A, talent participations and other costs collide with box office grosses, and ancillary revenues from VOD to DVD and TV. To get close to that mysterious end of the equation, Deadline is repeating our Most Valuable Blockbuster tournament for 2022, using data culled by seasoned and trusted sources.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie came out last week (April 5), and enjoyed the highest grossing opening weekend for a video game movie ever.Directed by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic, the film boasts an ensemble voice cast including Chris Pratt as Mario, Anya Taylor-Joy as Peach, Charlie Day as Luigi, Jack Black as Bowser, Keegan-Michael Key as Toad and Seth Rogen as Donkey Kong.The film is a collaboration between Nintendo, Universal Pictures and Illumination, the animation studio best known for films Despicable Me, Minions and The Secret Life Of Pets.While a sequel hasn’t been officially announced, the film’s success practically guarantees one is coming.

Zack Sharf Digital News Director With “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” grossing $204.6 million domestically and $377 million globally in its debut over the five-day Easter weekend, it’s all but certain Universal Pictures and Illumination Entertainment will move forward with a “Super Mario” sequel. Jack Black, who voices the villainous Bowser in the blockbuster, is already thinking ahead, telling GameSpot that Pedro Pascal is his pick to voice Wario should the sequel bring in a new villain. “It’s not a given that Bowser will return,” Black said. “You know, I did a few ‘Kung Fu Panda’ movies, and it was a different villain every movie. They may do the same thing.” “You know, what if there is a more powerful, more evil villain?” Black continued. “Then I may need to be turned to help Mario and the rest to defend our universe against some other unseen force of evil. Are you thinking what I’m thinking? Wario! Pedro Pascal is Wario.”

Ethan Shanfeld SPOILER ALERT: This story contains spoilers for “The Super Mario Bros. Movie,” in theaters now. While the creators of “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” have been tight-lipped about whether the mustachioed plumber’s first animated film adventure will turn into a franchise, a post-credits scene at the end of the Universal and Nintendo pic hints at a sequel. The first bonus scene comes midway through the credits, in which a miniature Bowser (Jack Black), who’s been shrunk via blue mushroom and captured by the Toads, sings a hopeless ode to Princess Peach (Anya Taylor-Joy) within the confines of his cage.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie gives the Mushroom Kingdom the proper big screen treatment.Directed by Aaron Horvarth and Michael Jelenic, the animated film boasts an ensemble voice cast including Chris Pratt as Mario, Anya Taylor-Joy as Peach, Charlie Day as Luigi, Jack Black as Bowser, Keegan-Michael Key as Toad and Seth Rogen as Donkey Kong.The film is a collaboration between Nintendo, Universal Pictures and Illumination, who are best known as the creators of Despicable Me and The Secret Life Of Pets.The film is a breezy trip at 92 minutes.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie boasts an impressive voice cast of Hollywood actors.Directed by Aaron Horvarth and Michael Jelenic, the animated film is a collaboration between Nintendo, Universal Pictures and Illumination (Despicable Me, The Secret Life Of Pets).It’s the second adaptation of the Mushroom Kingdom on the big screen, following the 1993 live-action interpretation starring Bob Hoskins and John Leguizamo.Chris Pratt voices Mario, who is originally voiced by Charles Martinet in the games.

“Shrek 5” could be on its way very soon.

Chris Meledandri prepares to launch Mario onto movie screens, the Illumination founder and CEO is simultaneously juggling several new movies and sequels in his ever-expanding animation empire. These range from follow-ups to his “Sing,” “Despicable Me” and “Secret Life of Pets” franchises, as well as original movies like this fall’s “Migration,” the story of a family of ducks who live in a pond in New England and no longer have to migrate because the winters are milder. But before all that, there’s “The Super Mario Bros. Movie,” which is expected to achieve box office domination when it opens on April 5. Beyond running Illumination, Meledandri, who sat down with Variety with Nintendo’s Shigeru Miyamoto for this week’s cover story on the making of “The Super Mario Bros. Movie,” also serves as a creative partner to DreamWorks Animation as it looks to reboot the “Shrek” franchise. In that capacity, he’s pushed to bring back the film’s original voice cast which includes Mike Myers, Cameron Diaz and Eddie Murphy for “Shrek 5.”

Shrek 5 with the original cast is a definite possibility.

Shigeru Miyamoto picks disinterestedly at a breakfast burrito, he’s an island of calm in a swirl of chaos. His team of handlers — Nintendo executives from Japan and America — is frantically hovering around him like a protective ring of Koopa shells. Miyamoto, who has granted only a handful of major interviews, is here to discuss “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” with Chris Meledandri, CEO of Illumination. Both served as producers of the animated feature from Universal and Nintendo.

Chris Pratt has responded to criticism over his lead role in the upcoming The Super Mario Bros. Movie, telling people to “watch the movie, then we can talk”.When the first trailer was revealed last year, fans quickly took to social media to criticise Pratt’s voice work as the titular plumber.His casting was also questioned by celebrated voice actor Tara Strong who believed Charles Martinet, the voice of Mario in a variety of games for the past 20 years, should have been offered the role. Former Luigi actor John Leguizamo also said the casting for The Super Mario Bros.

EXCLUSIVE: Film industry veteran Michele ‘Miss’ Imperato Stablile has been named President, Worldwide Physical Production, Warner Bros. Pictures. She will report directly to Warner Bros Pictures Group Co-Chair and CEOs Michael DeLuca and Pam Abdy. She’ll join the studio in the coming weeks.

trailer, Jack Black plays the villain Bowser, who directs his army of Koopa Troopas to burn down a kingdom belonging to penguins in search of a star that will grant him invincibility.The movie is directed by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic (“Teen Titans Go!”, “Teen Titans Go! To the Movies”) from a screenplay by Matthew Fogel (“The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part”, “Minions: The Rise of Gru”).

The highly anticipated Illumination Entertainment/Universal movie The Super Mario Bros. Movie will be opening on Wednesday, April 5 around the world before Easter weekend instead of Good Friday, April 7.

Jordan Moreau Mario is powering up his release date. Universal and Illumination’s “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” will now hit theaters around the world two days earlier than expected, the company announced Tuesday. The movie’s new release date is Wednesday, April 5, instead of its original Friday, April 7. In addition to going wide domestically, “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” will release in more than 60 markets around the world, including China, Australia, France Germany, Italy, Brazil Mexico and the U.K. and Ireland. There are around 10 markets in Southeast Asia, the Middle East and Eastern Europe opening on a variety of dates in April and May, Universal also announced. “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” will release in Japan on April 28, timed to the Golden Week Holidays.

Universal/Illumination/Nintendo’s The Super Mario Bros Movie has become the latest Hollywood title to secure a release date in China. The big-screen spin on the iconic videogame franchise will hit Chinese cinemas on April 5, in time for Ching Ming Festival and in step with some other international markets as well as two days before the domestic release on April 7. 

Universal/DreamWorks Animation’s Puss In Boots: The Last Wish has secured a China release date on December 23, two days after its North American bow. Apart from Avatar: The Way of Water, this currently appears to be the only other Hollywood title dated through the end of the year in the PRC.

Third time is the charm? The Super Mario Bros. Movie has been a major topic of conversation ahead of its release — from the mysterious plot to lead actor Chris Pratt‘s accent in the film.

upcoming “Super Mario Bros.” movie has been released and the world has tuned in to judge Pratt’s Mario voice.The verdict? Far from “Mario number one!” and verging on “Mario ho hum,” according to Twitter.“Bland,” “zero effort” and “meh” were just some of the responses to the newly released trailer, with the general assessment being Mario sounds like… Chris Pratt.

Entertainment Weekly reported. Brimming with the denizens of the Mushroom Kingdom, the poster features a technicolor array of islands, hills and other potential dangers for the fearless plumber.The star-studded cast includes Chris Pratt voicing Mario, Jack Black as Bowser and Anya Taylor-Joy as Princess Peach.

Brent Lang Executive Editor Illumination, the studio behind the “Despicable Me” franchise, has tapped Mike Moon to form a new label, Moonlight. The goal is to broaden the range of films that Illumination makes beyond the kid-friendly fare that’s been its stock in trade. Moon most recently served as the head of adult animation at Netflix, a post he stepped down from in July to “pursue other opportunities.” His exit came as the streamer, battered by a swooning stock price, was laying off animators and dialing back its ambitions in the space. In addition to his new role as president of Moonlight, the company said that Moon will serve as a senior creative advisor to Illumination. Moonlight’s films will be distributed under Illumination’s distribution partnership with Universal Pictures. Illumination said the goal is for Moonlight to “produce animated films that push beyond the family genre.”

Illumination is partnering with animation vet Mike Moon to form a new label, Moonlight.

The “Despicable Me” animation studio Illumination is launching a new label that will help it expand beyond family films and into more adult animated fare, and they’ve tapped Mike Moon, previously the head of Adult Animation at Netflix, to lead the new label.Moon will serve as the president of the label titled Moonlight, and he will also come aboard as a creative advisor to Illumination. His role will at Moonlight will be to augment Illumination’s existing slate and produce animated films that push beyond the family genre.

Refresh for latest…: Coming in slightly above the estimates we reported on Saturday, Universal/Illumination’s Minions: The Rise Of Gru has boogied to an $87.2M weekend at the international box office. That lifts the offshore cume to $93.7M for $202.2M worldwide to date.